Build Muscle..Muscle Building..Mass Building Workouts..Weight Lifting Routines

Working out is just that. Done properly it is work, and there is nothing worse than to think you are working for nothing. Two of my favorite ab exercises are bridges and side planks. These are very effective at engaging all your core muscles. The problem for me is that there isn’t really a “burn” with these moves. I like to KNOW that I am muscle building. This is the move that I use to get it in my midsection.

First I do not mean to diminish the effectiveness of planks and bridges for core work. Just the opposite. They are the center pieces of my abdominal training. They are perfect for older lifters, male and female, because they are moves that remove all stress from the spine. I am just old school and need to feel the abs working. Though I know they are in bridges and planks I miss that burn.

All of the exercises for ab work that bring the tightness and burn sensations generally involve lying on your back as the starting position. From there crunches, leg lifts and bicycles are all great at giving your abs a workout. But for me I find that I cheat way too much by moving my neck and head as much as actually working my abs. Being on my back brings discomfort to my spine and lower back very quickly. Again, it’s not that these are bad moves for ab work, it’s that I don’t think they are the most effective, given their shortcomings.

To build muscle in my core, and to give my abs the burn I look for what I do is the rope pull crunch. To do this move, go to a cable machine and use the rope attachment. Get on your knees facing the cable about 3 feet from the bottom of the machine. Hold the rope in both hands and place your hands next to your ears. Now “crunch” by bringing your forehead down to the floor. The two keys to making this move effective for core work is to NOT use your arms to pull and to bring your head down in an arcing motion. Do an actual crunch but be sitting up on your knees. Variations off this are to spread your knees to move the emphasis and to bring your head down not between your legs but off to the sides.

Why do I think this is better than standard crunches? First it takes me off my back which eliminates spine and neck issues but most importantly I can adjust the amount of weight I use. The reason most people do crunches improperly is because they can not lift the amount that their upper body weighs. So after a few reps they are cheating. Same theory applies once your abs tire. Here you can keep adding or removing weight so that your form stays good, which is essential to make a crunching move build muscle.

Ab work is not about a lot of weight. It’s about working the ab muscles with proper motion, not just moving your neck and head. By adjusting the weight to allow me to do the rope pull crunch properly, I can do enough reps to get the burn that makes me know for sure that muscle building took place.

6:00 AM 7/19/2008

Finding the Right Mix in Muscle Building at 50

Muscle building is a continuum. There is no “end” to it. You can always build more muscle than you have. What makes this really challenging is that the process by which you efficiently build muscle changes as you move through the continuum. Beginning lifters should use different training parameters than professionals. A further complicating factor is that your body is a variable as well. How do you account for that?

For example your body type makes a huge difference in the type of training you should do. So as you can see finding that right mix becomes very difficult. This is one of the reasons that I struggle with the “Programs” that so many offer. I would never suggest that anybodies program doesn’t work. Of course it did for them. That’s why they offer it up to you. But with all the variables at play will they work for you? Very possibly. Or not.

The point is you have to know how muscle works, how it is built and then given your body type, goals, experience and many other things, try different techniques until you find some that work for you and that you enjoy doing. My guess is that it will be some of this and some of that.

But one of the greatest challenges you will face is the one of age. That is one variable that will stand everything else on its head. You see a professional at 30 will HAVE to train differently at 50, all else equal. Now THAT becomes challenging. When something has been working, possibly for years, doesn’t anymore what are you to do? I am not talking about plateau busting, this isn’t that simple.

No I am talking about the two biggest factors (possibly) in muscle building, your definition of 100% effort for a workout and your recovery time. Granted these variables change gradually but they also change dramatically. At 50 gone are the two a day splits and blasting chest 3 times a week. Actually these have been gone for a while, but you get my point. So how do you teach an old dog new tricks?

Square 1. If you’ve been paying attention, I am not about “programs”. Knowledge is King! As I write this Greg Norman at 53 years old, is leading the British Open Golf Tournament, beating every other player in the world (except Tiger who isn’t playing). This includes the best in the world that’s half his age. You think Norman prepared for this event the same way he did when he was 30(and won it)? You think his routine at the event is the same now as it was then? Now he probably won’t win, but he doesn’t need to. He’s made his point already. At his age, at this point in his career, what he needs to be successful and how he got there are DIFFERENT then when he was 30.

So how do you find the right mix in muscle building at 50? The same way you would at 30. Learn what works for you. Now.

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7:35 AM 7/13/2008

Muscle Building Success Gauranteed

There is a very simple and effective method of almost guaranteeing success in every endeavor that requires a sustained effort. The degree of that success is dependent on many factors, but success/failure can be virtually assured by either doing or not doing this one very simple thing.

One of the first questions I ask someone after they have asked me for assistance or advice is.......

7:35 AM 7/13/2008 Muscle Building Success Gauranteed

Female Workouts: Tone Zone

You don't have to look hard to notice most women prefer other forms of weight training than to simply throw iron around. Nothing builds mass and strength like weight lifting. But for all around fitness workouts using Bosus, balance boards and fitness balls are hard to beat. More and more workouts are being designed around these items. Here is a 20 minute workout (maybe 30) from Womens Health Mag Online that hits every muscle and focuses on all around fitness and muscle toning. Men, you can use it too!

7:40 AM 7/18/2008

Creatine Ethyl Ester Builds Muscle Efficiently

By M Carter

Whether you are a beginner looking to start working out and mass building, or you have been weight lifting for awhile and are looking for an extra boost for your muscle building efforts, you may want to take a look at creatine ethyl ester. For those of you who have not yet heard of this newer formulation of Creatine, creatine ether ester HCl, also referred to as CEE, CE2, or ester creatine, was created as a response to the relative inefficiency of the standard creatine monohydrate form.

Creatine monohydrate, usually simply referred to as creatine .......

7:40 AM 7/18/2008 Creatine Ethyl Ester Builds Muscle Efficiently

9:40 AM 7/11/2008

The Secret of Successful Muscle Building

People ask me all the time why all their gym time isn’t having the desired effect on their physique. If the “desired effect” is too build muscle, I have to be very careful how I answer. They are in the gym and that’s a heck of a lot better than many other places they could be spending their free time.

But muscle building success is hard to measure in some respects. The article above about overcoming training obstacles illustrates this perfectly. One of the best gages of success? The........

9:40 AM 7/11/2008 The Secret of Successful Muscle Building

Add 2 Inches to Your Arms

I have written two of the most read and copied arm articles to hit the internet in a while (Google the titles and see):

How to Get Big Arms
How to Build Muscle for Bigger Arms

so I feel I know a good arm workout when I see one. Check out this muscle building arm workout from 2006 Add 2 Inches to Your Arms from the Men's Health archive, complete with five video demonstrations. It emphasizes the basics, which happens to be what works. Good stuff!

Muscle Building– Can Yoga Make You Stronger?

Most weight lifters simply do not stretch enough. The older you get stretching becomes increasingly important. In my article How to Build Muscle Faster, More Efficiently and Safer I make it clear that Yoga can be very helpful in muscle building. There is no better way to increase flexibility.

If you are reluctant to give up an hour of weight lifting check out Can Yoga Make You Stronger? Look at it this way, Yoga is body weight muscle building with an emphasis on flexibility.

Diet Strategies: Weight Loss Breakfast Recipes

You should know that breakfast is the most important food you will eat everyday. You are hopefully coming off 8 good hours of rest and consequently 8+ hours of "starvation". Finding time AND knowing what to make for morning muscle fuel is tough. Let the muscle chef's at Men's Health help with this excellent article Instant Breakfast: 7 perfect morning meals in 5 minutes or less and get your day started off right.

How To Lose Stomach Fat

It's summer time and I know what consumes my thoughts, looking as buff as possible with fewer clothes on. Being cut is now! Along with the article below from Men's Health Magazine, this article “Do You Have A Little Stomach Fat That You’d Like To Get Rid Of For Summer? Try This 6 Week Fat Busting Program” from Building-Muscle101 is worth the read.

Losing The Last 10 Pounds

If your fit enough to be at this stage, CONGRATULATIONS! For you fat loss is doubly tough. But fret not, the experts have your solution. Check out this work out at Men's Health Mag Online to finally burn that last bit o fat!

Note: This is just more proof that as I have been saying forever, the best way to burn fat is to build muscle!

Muscle Building: A Better Back

Your back provides the foundation for every mass building compound move. Everyone knows to work lats for a bigger, stronger back. But rear delts are often neglected by the average lifter and that is a huge mistake! Check out this link at Men's Health Mag Online for a workout to hit the rear delt.

Click here to see my favorite exercise to really blast this often neglected muscle.

8:40 AM 7/8/2008

Build Muscle: Tip for Back Training

Arms and chest muscle are referred to as the “mirror” muscles, and for good reason. But the body is an inter connected machine, with all muscle groups having effects on all others, and muscle building for the back can result in massive gains for the chest and arms (not to mention aiding in squats and dead lifts for legs and massive mass building everywhere). I use a little trick to make my back workouts doubly effective.

Weight training for your back really comes down to lat work, and most all the movements involve pulling the weight towards you. Clearly there is.......

8:40 AM 7/8/2008 Build Muscle:Tip for Back Training

5:10 AM 7/7/2008
5 Easy Steps to Lose Belly Fat
By Karen Sessions

Are you suffering from excess belly fat that won't budge no matter what you do? Have the flashy infomercials convinced you that your belly fat is directly related to stress and that they have the miracle pill that will get rid of it with no effort on your part?

Not only is belly fat unattractive, it's ......

5:10 AM 7/7/2008 5 Easy Steps to Lose Belly Fat

This site is solely for informational and educational purposes. It is not intended as medical advice.
Consult a physician before beginning any new exercise, nutrition or supplementation program....Disclaimer

Copyright 2007-2008 Steve R. Robbins. All rights reserved.

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How to Feel your Abs Work